Burial-vault.



No. 682,42l. Patented Sept. l0, IQOL W. S. PARKER.

BURIAL VAULT.

(Application filed Nov. 15, 1900.) (N o M o d e l 5 amw/wboz QWi/bvmow UNiTEn STATES PATENT UEETCE.

IVILLIAM SINK PARKER, OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.

BU RlAL-VAU LT.

$PEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 682,421, dated September 10, 1901.

Application filed November 15,1900. Serial No. 36,631. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM SINK PARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Austin, in the county of Travis and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful B urial- Vault, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to a novel burial-vault, the object being to produce an inexpensive sectional receptacle or vault capable of easy transportation and of being assembled without the exercise of particular skill to form a comparatively indestructible air-tight or hermetically-sealed chamber of continuous homogeneous structure.

A further object of the invention is to interlock the Wall-sections by means of lapjoints related in a manner to resist relative movement in directions either lateral or longitudinal with respect to the vault, and still further objects will hereinafter more fully appearin view of the succeeding description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my vault complete. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the bottom or body of the vault with the cover or arch removed. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View of one of the body-sections, and Fig. 5 is a similar View of one of the arch-sections.

Referring to the numerals employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the views, 1 indicates the body of the vault, comprising end sections 2 and 3 and a middle or intermediate section 4. The sections of the body are connected by rabbet-joints 5, produced by forming internal rabbets 6 and external rabbets 7 at their contiguous edges, these rabbets being preferably so related with any section which forms an external lap at one end and is lapped externally at its opposite end by the contiguous section-that is to say, any section which is jointed at both ends to other sections is provided at one end with an external rabbet and at its opposite end with an internal rabbet in order that lateral move ment in either direction will be equally resisted. Upon the body thus constructed is designed to be supported a sectional cover or arch 8, composed, in the embodiment shown, of two end sections 9 and 10 and a pair of intermediate sections 11 and 12. Each of the arch-sections constitutes a complete transverse section of the arch and is supported at its opposite ends upon the side walls of the body in the line of the spring.

For the purpose of locking the arch-sections together and to the body and for the additional purpose of locking the body-sections against separation in the longitudinal direction of the vault each abutting edge of the arch and body is provided with .a series of spaced recesses 13 and 14, the former being located at the vertical center of each one of the body-sections and the latter being likewise positioned at the vertical center of each of the arch-sections. The recesses 13 and 14 are in each instance half as long as the section in which it is formed, and as the recesses of the body and arch are disposed in alternating arrangement it will be observed that each recess of the body, receives a projecting portion of the arch formed by those portions of two arch members which are disposed between the recesses 13 and the abutting ends of the members. In like manner each recess in the arch receives two projectin g portions of abutting body-sections, so that the vertical joints of the arch and body are disposed in alternating arrangement, and each body-section constitutes a lock or retainer preventing the separationof the arch-sections, and vice versa, while the lateral separation of the several body-sections is prevented by their lapped or rabbet joints.

The several sections of the vault are preferably molded or otherwise formed from a plastic material of durable character which will be capable of withstanding the action of moisture or other destructive influences to be encountered in the ground, and forthe purpose of facilitating the lowering of the sections into the grave they are provided with the usual rope-rings 15, and, if desired, the under edges of the vault-sections may be pro vided with notches 16 for the reception of the lowering-rope.

In organizing my vault for use the body sections are first lowered into the grave and the rabbet-joints are lined, pointed, or cemented to secure an integral homogeneous receptacle. After the casket has been deposited the arch-sections are lowered to place and the joints between them and between the arch and vault-body are sealed, as by cementing, to produce a hermetically-sealed vault or chamber of homogeneous structure throughout.

From the foregoing it will be observed that I have produced an inexpensive easily portable sectional vault comprising a sectional body portion whose sections are connected by rabbet-joints resisting the relative movement of the sections in a lateral direction and an arch composed of sections extending continuously between the lines of spring and having interlocking connection with the body in a manner to prevent movement of either the arch or body sections longitudinally with respect to the vault; but While the presentembodiment of my invention is believed at this time to be preferable it is necessarily susceptible of wide Variation, and I therefore reserve the right to effect such modifications thereof as may be embraced within the scope of the protection prayed.

What I claim isl. A vault comprising a hollow receptacle composed of sections which are directly interlocked at their meeting ends against lateral movement, and a cover fitting over the hollow receptacle and interlocked with a pair of receptacle-sections, whereby the direct interlocking of the cover-sections with the sections of the receptacle serves to hold the receptacle-sections against separation in the longitudinal direction of the vault.

2. A vault comprising a hollow receptacle composed of sections which are directly interlocked at their meeting ends against lateral movement, and a cover fitting over the hollow receptacle and madeup of separate sections, each of which is directly interlocked with a pair of the receptacle-sections, whereby the direct interlocking of the cover-sections with the sections of the receptacle serves to hold the receptacle-sections against sepa- ;ration in the longitudinal direction of the vault.

3. A vault comprising a hollow receptacle composed of several sections, each of said receptacle-sections being made up of integral bottom and side Walls, the bottom and side i Walls of each receptacle-section being connected by rabbet-joints to the bottom and side walls of the adjacent receptacle-sections, and

each side Wall of each of said sections being provided with arecess at the center of its upper edge and an arched cover composed of l sections extending across the, receptacle, each lot the cover-sections being provided in its bottom edge witha recess, the recesses of the cover and receptacle being disposed in alternating arrangement, and each receiving projecting portions of a pair of opposed sections,

whereby the sections of the receptacle are.

locked against lateral displacement by reason of their direct interlocking engagement and arelocked by the cover-sections against movement in the longitudinal direction of the vault, the end sections of the cover and receptacle being provided with end walls in interlocking engagement.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in k the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM SINK PARKER.

Witnesses:

H. E. BAXTER, GARDNER RUGeLEs. 

